Much has been said about self-employment. For example, it is said that most of the investment for these enterprises comes from relatives living outside Cuba. Meanwhile, the work here is mostly divided among couples, siblings, cousins. These perceptions gave rise to the study by sociologist Denisse Delgado about remittances, self-employment and family dynamics are intertwined.
The research process focused on ¨paladares¨ (private restaurants) of Havana’s Vedado neighborhood, by being located in the municipality with the biggest amount of such businesses in the city and the country, and in turn by belonging to the remittances recipient largest province. According to data provided in August this year by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, food processing and sale is one of the most requested licenses, with 13 percent, indicating a high concentration in the gastronomic field.
In this context, the researcher realizes how relationships between subjects living in Cuba and their loved ones abroad are reinforced, as remittances take a different meaning: they are not only to satisfy basic consumption needs, but are a boost to family enterprises.
These transfers must be understood beyond money: they comprise supplies and goods such as equipment, food, products, including mobile phone recharge. The Havana Consulting Group estimates that in 2012 formal way shipments to the island reached 2.606 million dollars in cash, a significant increase compared to the 48 million reported in 1989.
We also have the case of people living in Cuba sending resources to relatives abroad, from the profits of their business. Such links lead to the term “transnational family”, as members participate in two economies at the same time, and maintain social, political and cultural ties, beyond the distance between countries.
Delgado argues that the better established immigrants, who preserved their language, idiosyncrasies and have greater financial security, are more likely to participate in companies across borders, so that there is no contradiction between integration and transnationalism.
Emails, phone calls, and photos help contacts to be increasingly frequent, and thus information, experience, advice, opinions are exchanged. By this means not only emotional and support needs are met, but there are also influences in projects and decision-making regarding entrepreneurship.
In fact, in several cases studied by the specialist, Cuban persons send reports on the results they are gradually obtaining, and return the amount received in the beginning. While from the outside the capitalization of new initiatives to grow and remain in the market continues.
“Two things occur: some sent an initial money only to their families to become independent from them, and not having to financially support them for life, but others see it more as a long term investment,” Delgado says. “Similarly, there are those who state that although still receiving aid, they are able to support their families through self-employment.”
It is interesting the notion of cultural and social remittances. These have to do with ideas about design and atmosphere, the way the service is offered, including the name of the property, often written in English, French or Italian.
In sociologist Edel Fresneda´s opinion, Cuban migration has a high component of people trained in the area of services, where they are also inserted when reaching the receiving society. This creates a kind of recycling, both in economic terms and values, interests, ideas and ways of doing .
The phenomenon supports the hypothesis that these “knowledge networks” can foster a culture of small and medium enterprise in Cuba, which would involve management strategies, lifestyles, more effective forms of promotion, etc. “Competition and variety force you to be better all the time, Daylis and Michel Bohemio Bar owners, noted, to better serve the customer, to be aware of what he needs, to be more polite, to provide better service …”
In fact, Delgado adds that there are already has alliances between self employed that are longstanding in the sector, who maintain communication about some topics such as where to buy certain product or the solution to similar problems.
” Paladar” was the name of a restaurant in a popular Brazilian soap opera. In many cases, the premises shares space with the house itself. On one hand, such simultaneity brings more confidence, and strengthens family unity and efforts to achieve common goals.
In another sense, privacy is affected, ruptures and conflicts occur, and also types of individual relationships that privilege business efficiency and functionality. When the two areas are separated, distancing between parents and children can occur, which is often compensated by going to consumption spaces.
The fact that most paladares in Havana are located in Playa and Plaza municipalities entails to an imbalance in earnings, and therefore the regional inequalities are accentuated. “there is a takeoff of self-employment precisely in areas where the conditions had been already created, ie, where there is greater socio-economic dynamism, where the hotels and shops are and where there is more movement of people,” the expert said.
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(Work of the researcher from data of the Labor and Social Security local office, 2012)
It is remarkable the impact of projects in the neighborhood, its contribution to create new jobs and improving public adornment. Although not all interviewed by sociologist have that as a direct link with the community, it can be appreciated their interest to join and contribute to the environment.
“We have tried to include our neighbors as we can, Daylis and Michel say. The possibility of opening businesses has helped many people, not just the owners. “
Moreover, the articulation of self-employment with family remittances raises an approach of Cuba with its diaspora. According to Fresneda, immigration regulations suggest that Cuban migrants begin to be considered as important actors for the development of the country.
However, Delgado states that the revival of private sector is a phenomenon that is happening right now, making it difficult to study and draw conclusions about its impact.
Author
Eileen Sosin Martínez
